Across the Internet, fans of The Witcher have been voicing their disappointment with actor Henry Cavill's exit from the show. Amidst the shock, there has been rampant speculation about the reasons behind his decision to leave the project, which he initially fought to be involved in.

According to Redanian Intelligence, Cavill had considered leaving the project during Season 2's post-production stage. There were reports that suggested Cavill was not satisfied with the show's direction and that he did not see eye to eye with the producers, with a recast considered as a possibility.

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The Witcher Conversation

A lot of the discussion surrounding The Witcher and Cavill's exit has centered on potential creative differences, though up until now there has been little evidence to support those claims. Cavill himself, who has consistently expressed enthusiasm for Andrzej Sapkowski's novels and CD Projekt Red's video games, has not publicly stated his reasons for quitting the role of Geralt of Rivia. Many have pointed to a variety of minor comments in numerous interviews pertaining to his desire to tell a story that respects Sapkowski's work.

It should be noted much of the speculation prior to the recent report was fueled by comments made by former series writer Beau DeMayo, who claimed, "Some of the writers were not or actively disliked the books and games, even actively mocking the source material." Many have assumed that it was this approach by the writers' room that put the creative team at odds with Cavill's own expectations.

What Did Henry Cavill Want?

Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich has explained in the past that Cavill contributed to the show's depiction of Geralt. She revealed in 2021 that Cavill would send notes about the titular monster slayer's depiction on screen. She explained, "A lot of the notes he was sending to me were about Geralt's dialogue — could he, first of all, say more."

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In an interview with Philstar that year, Cavill himself stated, "The toughest part for me was finding that balance between the showrunners’ vision and my love for the books, and trying to bring that Geralt to the showrunners' vision." He went on to explain, "All of my asks and requests were along the lines of just being faithful to the source material."

Following Season 3 of The Witcher, Geralt of Rivia will be played by actor Liam Hemsworth. Seasons 4 and 5 have begun development and will reportedly film back-to-back. However, Netflix has only officially announced Season 4 of the series.

The Witcher is available for streaming on Netflix. Season 3 is scheduled to premiere in summer 2023.

Source: Redanian Intelligence, Philstar